Car-brake



No. `6|5,353. Patented Dec. 6, |898. F. 0. GUDMAN.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Dec. 5, |898.

F. 0. GODMAN. CAR BRAKE.

(Appliation led Nov. 5, 1897.)

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Y NITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

FORGUS O. GODMAN, OF FORT VAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTI-IS TO CHARLES W. BEEKER, OF VEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 615,353, dated December 6, 1898. Application filed November 5, 1897. Serial No. 657,498. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern: et, between which the outer ends of the levers Be it known that I, FORGUS O. GODMAN, a l are secured by vertical pivots 5. citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Y The brake-levers, which are horizontal, Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of carry brake-shoes 6, arranged near their outer 5 Indiana, have invented a new and useful Carends in holders 7 and adj ustably mountedl on 55 Brake, of which the following is a specificathe brake-levers by means of clips S and tion. wedges 9. The engaging face of the brake- The invention relates to improvements in shoe conforms to the configuration of the car-brakes. wheel lO, and the holder 7, which is bolted or io The object of the present invention is to otherwise secured to the clip S, is provided 6o improve the construction of car-brakes and With a vdovetailed recess 11,1eceiving a doveto provide a'simple and comparatively inextailed shank l2 of the brake-shoe, whereby pensive one which will be strong and durable the latter is detachably interlocked with the and adapted for various street-railway cars holder. j

i 5 and the like, such as electric and cable cars. The holder 7 and the clip S are provided 6 5 A further-object of the invention is to prowith suitable eyes to receive the connecting vide a brake which when applied will be cafastening device, and the holders 7 are held pable of instantly exerting great pressure on steady by a transverse connectingbar 7, the wheels of a car; and another object of the which is suitably secured at its ends to the zo invention is to enable the power of an elecholders. This connecting bar 7, which 7o tric car to be automatically shut off in applyspaces the holders and maintains them in ing the brake and the latter to be similarly proper relation with each other, is centrally thrown off the wheels in applying the power. and forwardly bowed at 7b fora purpose here- The invention consists in the construction inafter described. The clip 8, which em- 25 and novel combination and arrangement of braces the brake lever, also receives the 75 parts, as hereinafter fully described, iiluswedge 9, which is located at the inner edge trated in the accompanying drawings, and of the brake-lever and which is adapted to pointed out in the claims hereto appended. be advanced into the clip as the brake-shoe In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevabecomes worn in order to take up the wear 3o tion, partly in section, of a portion of a car and enable the brake shoe to engage the 8o provided with a brake constructed in accordwheel properly. The adjustable wedge 9 is ance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan provided with a serrated or corrugated face view. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is to prevent it from slipping, and the upper a detail sectional view on line 4c 4 of Fig. 3. and lower sides of the clip, which are pro- 3 5 Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail viev7 illustrating vided with threaded portions, receive a con- 85 the manner of mountingthe brake-shoes on necting clip-plate 12CL and nuts 13, which are the brake-levers. Fig. 6 is a detail view of adjusted to permit the clip to be advanced one of the bearing-brackets. Fig. 7 is a deby the wedge 9 to take up the wear. By 1otail view of one of the brake-shoes. eating the brake-shoes near the outer ends of 4o Like numerals of reference designate corthe levers in the manner shown a powerful go respondingpartsin all the iguresof the drawleverage is obtained, the inner arm being ings. preferably seven times the length of the l l designate brake-levers, disposed in pairs outer one; but the proportion may be varied at each end of the frame 2 of a car and fulas desired to obtain the necessary applica- 45 crumed at their outer ends on brackets 3, tion of power. 95 which are secured to the same at the corners The inner ends of the'brake-levers are overthereof, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 lapped and slotted, one of the members beof the accompanying drawings. The bracking preferably bifurcated to receive the other ets 3, which depend from the frame 2, are promember, and the slots 14 receive a roller 15,Y

5o vided with inwardly-extended perforated ears which pivots a coupling 1G to the levers. The loo 2f classe' coupling 16 is provided with a horizontal ear or portion which is connected with the roller and vertical ears which are pivotally connected to a central depending arm 17 of a rock-shaft 1S, adapted to be rotated to carry the brake-shoes into engagement with the car-wheels. The rock-shaft 18, which is disposed transversely of the car, is journaled in sectional bearings 19 of bearing-brackets 20, which are secured to the ends of the frame 2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

Each of the rock-shafts of the car is provided at its ends with arms 21 and 22, eX- tending upward and downward from the frame 2. The upwardly-extending arm of each rock-shaft is connected with the depending arm of the other rock-shaft by a longitudinal rod 23, which is provided with a turnbnckle 24 to enable the brake connections to be readily adjusted, and the connectingrods 23, which are located at opposite sides of the car, enable the brake mechanism at the ends thereof to be'simultaneously applied when the upwardly-extending arm of either rock-shaft is operated. The arms 17 and 21 are of different lengths to increase the pressure, which is further increased by the brakeoperating mechanism.

The brake-shoes are normally held offthe wheels by a coiled spring 25, disposed on a bolt or pin 26 and secured to the frame 2 of the car. The bolt or pin 26 has its outer end connected with the levers and its inner end is guided in a perforation of a plate 27 on the end of the frame 2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The plate or piece 27, which is clamped on the frame 2 of the car, depends therefrom and forms a guide for the bolt or pin 26. The centrally-bowed portion 7" of the transverse connecting-bar 7a extends around the inner side of the device for holding the brake-shoes normally off the Wheels and enables the bolt or pin 26 to have full play.

Each upwardly-extending lever-arm 21, which may be connected with an ordinary brake staff or shaft, is designed when applied to electric cars to be connected by a chain 28 or other suitable iieXible connection with a horizontal sleeve or windlass 29, which is mounted upon ahorizontal shaft 30 and capable of a limited longitudinal reciprocation to couple and uncouple itself from a gear-wheel 31 of a rheostat 32. The gear-wheel 31,'which is vertical, is arranged on the exterior of the rheostat and meshes with a horizontal gear-wheel at the top thereof, the horizontal gear-wheel being connected with a shaft of the rheostat. The chain 28 passes over a guide-pulley 23 and extends upward through an opening of the platform of the car, and the shaft 3() is journaled on. the post 34- and the rheostat 32.

The sleeve or windlass 29,which has a handwheel 35 fixed to it, carries one member of a clutch 36, theV other member being carried by the gear-whecl 31. Then the hand-wheel is rotated, the sleeve or windlass is controlled by a key 37, consisting of an L-shaped arm secured to the top of the post 34,'extending over the sleeve or windlass and engaging a guide-groove of the same. The guide-groove is composed of parallel annular portions 38 and 39, which are connected by a switch portion 40, disposed at an angle to the plane of the grooves 38 and 39 and extending from one to the other. The grooves 3S and 39 eX- tend substantially around the sleeve or windlass, and when the key engages the groove 39 the sleeve or windlass is at the inward limit of its longitudinal reciprocation and in position for winding the chain around it to apply the brake. In relieving the wheels of the brake-shoes the wheel 35 is rotated suiiicienly to carry the switch portion 4:() of the guidegrooves to the key, and a continued rotation of the hand-wheel will effect an outward movement of the shaft or windlass and carry the clutch-section into engagement, thereby coupling the hand-wheel to the rheostat. The groove 3S permits the. hand-wheel to make nearly a complete revolution in manipulating the rheostat, which movement is amply sufficient for such purpose. In applying the brake the hand-wheel is rotated in the direc tion for winding up the chain; but prior to the application of the brake the power of the motor is automatically shut off and the handwheel uncoupled from the rheostat.

The invention has the following advantages: The brake is simple, strong, and durable and adapted for applying sufiicient pressure to the Wheels of a car to effect a rapid stoppage of the same. The brake-shoes are adjustably mounted on the brake-levers, and any wear on them may be readily taken up. The brake may be applied from either end of a car, and when it is applied the power ofthe motor is automatically shut off prior to such application of the brake. The brake is thrown off the wheels before the power is applied to start the car. It is impossible to put the motor in operation while the brake is applied, and the brake cannot be set until the current is turned off.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a frame or support,

'brake-levers arranged in pairs at the ends of the frame orsupport, fulcrumed at their outer ends thereon and provided at points between their ends with brake-shoes, pivots passing through the inner ends of the levers, the pins guided on the frame or support and connected with the pivots, coiled springs disposed on the said pins and interposed between the frame or support and the inner ends of the levers, transverse rock-shafts arranged at the ends of the frame or support at points above the brake-levers and provided with depending centrally arranged arms connected to the IOO IIO

IIS

outer ends of the said pins, said rock-shafts being provided at their ends with arms extending upward and downward from them, and connections between the end arms of the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a frame orsupport, a brake lever or bar, a clip embracing the brake lever or bar, a brake-shoe connected with the clip, and an adjustable wedge arranged within the clip and interposed between the same and brake bar or lever and adapted to advance the clip to take up wear on the brake-shoe, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a frame or support, a brake lever or bar, a clip mounted on the brake lever or bar, a holder pivotally connected with the clip and provided with a dovetailed recess, and a brake-shoe having a doveltailed shank fitting in the recess, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a frame or support, transverse brake-levers fulcrumed at their outer ends on the frame or support, a pivot passing through the inner ends of the levers, brake-shoes mounted on the levers, a rockshaft journaled on the frame or support and provided with a depending arm, a pin guided on the frame or support and connected with the pivot and with the arm of the rock-shaft, and a coiled spring disposed on the pin and interposed between the frame or support and the inner ends of the levers, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a brake mechanism, of a rheostat having a horizontal gearwheel at its top, a vertical gear-wheel arranged on the exterior of the rheostat and meshing with the horizontal gear-wheel, a horizontal windlass capable of reciprocation, a iexible connection wound around the windlass and attached to the brake mechanism, a coupling for connecting the windlass with the vertical gear-wheel, and means for automatically re ciprocating the windlass to couple and uncouple it from the gear-wheel as it is rotated, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a brake mechanism, of a rheostat provided with an exterior gear-wheel, a windlass located outside of the vided with parallel guide-grooves having a connecting switch portion, a key engaging the grooves and adapted to cause areciprocation of the shaft or windlass, and a coupling device composed of members carried respectively by the windlass and by the gear-wheel of the rheostat, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a brake mechanism, and a rheostat, of a horizontal reciprocating windlass connected with the brake mechanism, arranged outside of the rheostat and provided with parallel annular grooves having a connecting switch portion, a fixed key engaging the grooves, a coupling composed of two sections, one of the sections being connected with and carried by the windlass, and means for connecting the other section with the rheostat,- substantially as described.

8. The combination with a brake mechanism, of a rheostat having` an exterior vertically-disposed gear-wheel, a reciprocating windlass provided with a hand-wheel for rotating it, a flexible connection wound around the windlass and attached to the brake mechanism a coupling for connecting the windlass with the gear-wheel, means for automatically reciprocating the windlass when the-same is rotated, whereby Lthe said windlass will be coupled to the gear-wheel and uncoupled from the same, and a horizontal gear-wheel meshing with the vertical gear-wheel and connecting the same with the rheostat, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a frame or support, of a brake bar or lever, a brake-shoe mounted on the brake bar or lever, and an adjustable wedge interposed between the brake-shoe and the bar or lever and adapted to 'advance the brake-shoe as it becomes worn, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FORGUS O. GODMAN.

Witnesses:

R. B. Ron,

GEORGE RoGERs. 

